This event is part of the German Federal Foreign Office’s Digital Long Night of Ideas. It will take place on World Refugee Day, June 20th as an interactive online event of the conference “Amplify Now”, organized by Kiron – Open Higher Education in collaboration with UNHCR. This online discussion, organized and facilitated with Ella Ininahazwe and Sadiki Bamperineza, Refugee College Guidance Counselors with Kepler in Rwanda, will introduce attendees to common challenges refugee students face along the higher education journey. We invite all of the attendees to participate in small group brainstorming sessions to tackle specific challenges.

Interactive group discussions:

1. Being ready for success: Remote counseling and bridging programs

Discussion leaders: Ella Ininahazwe and Sadiki Bamperineza, Refugee College Guidance Counselors, Kepler Rwanda

Attendees will discuss challenges that refugee students are faced with, ways in which counseling and support programs can help (prospective) students overcome these, and also share ideas on how this kind of support can be amended and expanded to benefit more students better.

2. Connecting worldwide: Students and teachers linking up using new technologies (TRSN)

Discussion leaders: Ehab Badwi, Syrian Youth Assembly, Kiron alumnus and Tertiary Refugee Student Network (TRSN), Germany, and Foni Vuni, Tertiary Refugee Student Network (TRSN), Kenya

Sharing our challenges, ideas and initiatives across borders can inspire and amplify our common voice calling for increased educational opportunities for refugee youth. Digital technology does not only enable distance education, it also facilitates connections between refugee youth and supporters worldwide.

3. In crisis and displacement: Improving blended and online learning

Blended and online learning approaches have proven successful due to their accessibility, ability to scale and effectiveness.

This session explores the benefit of these approaches in displacement and crisis, and provides a space for discussion about how blended and online learning can be made even more ‘crisis-proof’. Attendees may discuss their experiences during the Covid19 pandemic and the impact on learning.

4. After graduation: Transition to employment

Discussion leaders: Nadia Asmal, Associate Director of Livelihoods and Advocacy, Southern New New Hampshire University

Transition to employment is a key concern of refugee graduates. This session provides a space to share successful approaches to this challenge, but also share ideas for improvement of existing practices.

This session may be live-streamed and recorded. 

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